A Life Without Jake
by chawk1993
Summary: *One Shot* Jake passed 10 years ago and today Neytiri and their daughter mourn. *No relation to Entering a New Life*


**A/N: **_Hey guys! I woke up this morning with this story in my head. I thought I'd better write it down. This fic has nothing to do in relation to Entering a New Life. It's a standalone story. I hope you enjoy._

**A Life without Jake**

Silent tears fell down Neytiri's face as she remembered Jake. It had been 10 years since Jake failed to transfer into his Avatar. His fate was the same as Grace's. From that day Neytiri's life had crumbled into nothing but tiny irreplaceable pieces. Jake couldn't be replaced. Not now, not ever. He didn't even know she was pregnant. It had broken her heart to know that her child would grow up without their father. No child had to go through that.

Neytiri sat looking through Jake's old photo albums that Norm had given her. Norm had taken pictures before and shortly after the battle with the RDA to add to the albums. These were memories that would be forever embedded in Neytiri's mind of the man she had fallen in love with and had changed her world for the better.

"Mum?"

Neytiri turned to see her daughter, Na'la standing in the doorway of their alcove in new Hometree.

"Hello, honey. What are you doing back so early?" Neytiri asked wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Uncle Max sent me back to send some time with you. Thinking about Daddy again?" Na'la was now 10 years old. She had been born on the 1st anniversary of her father's death.

Neytiri nodded and opened her arms so that Na'la could climb into her lap. Together they scanned the countless pictures. Neytiri smiled when she saw a photo that had been taken by Louise shortly after the battle where she, Jake, Norm and a couple of the other Avatar Drivers had had a mud fight. Mo'at had flipped when her daughter and son-in-law had come home covered in mud.

"What was dad like?" Na'la asked making Neytiri come out of her trance of happy memories.

Neytiri thought for a moment trying to find a way to sum Jake up. "He was the most amazing, loving man you could have ever met. He had a strong heart and was almost completely fearless. He would have adored you," Neytiri paused to kiss her daughter's hair. "You remind me of him so much."

She was right. Na'la was the female version of her father. She had his genes. She was smart, cocky and had a smart mouth on her. She even looked like him. She had small eyes, five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot. She had eyebrows and same lop-sided smile that Jake had been famous for.

"I wish I had of known him," Na'la sniffed.

"I know, darling I know. I wish that too," Neytiri sighed.

"Neytiri?" the young mother looked up to see Norm and Louise standing in the doorway.

"Come in," she said the outside of her eyes were red from crying.

"Looking through the photos again?" Louise asked.

Neytiri nodded as her two friends sat on either side of her and Na'la.

"I remember this one," Norm said pointing to the photo at the bottom of the page. It was a photo taken by Max when Jake, Trudy and Norm had fallen asleep during one of Grace's lectures.

"Grace was far from happy with us that day. She made it so boring." Neytiri tried not to laugh.

"So much for calling her a legend," Louise commented.

Na'la couldn't resist letting a laugh escape her lips.

Norm turned, smiled and ruffled the young girl's hair.

Neytiri thought of what might have happened if Jake had of lived. He would have been thrilled to becoming a father. All the children loved him and were always asking him to tell them stories about Earth. Neytiri use to hide in the shadows and listen. She had loved hearing his stories even he wasn't telling them to her directly.

Tears fell down her face again. "I miss him," she sniffed gaining the attention of her daughter and friends.

"We know. We all do." Louise said.

Norm and Louise wrapped their arms around their friend. They missed Jake just as much as Neytiri. He would never know his daughter and his grandchildren.

"Mum?" Na'la looked up at her mother. "What's this picture of?"

Neytiri looked down to see the album open on two pictures. One was of Norm with Jake in a headlock and the other was Jake kissing Neytiri's cheek with Norm looking on in disgust in the background. Neytiri frowned when she spotted some she had never seen before. The picture had moved slightly from all the times that the album had been opened.

Taking the picture, out from under the corners, Neytiri turned the picture over to see handwriting on the back. Handwriting that looked somewhat familiar.

"Norm," Neytiri kept her eyes on the handwriting before handing it to Norm.

"That's Jake's handwriting," Norm said in realisation. The handwriting on the back read,

_Neytiri,_

_If you're reading this now I haven't made it through the transfer. I know you're pregnant._

Neytiri's eyes widened as Norm continued to read.

_I wish I could be there to watch over the baby when it's born but fate has other plans for me. I know you'll make a great mother to our child and I know that with Norm's help the baby will grow up to be great warrior. Grace says hi. So does your sister. No matter what life throws at you I know that you beat it. Just remember that I will always love you even if means that I'm dead._

_Love always,_

_Jake._

Norm's eyes welled with tears as he read the final sentence. Jake had known; but how? Why hadn't he said anything? Maybe he had wanted it to be surprise? Either way there was no way they would find out now.

"How did he know that I was pregnant?" Neytiri asked in a small voice.

Louise and Norm looked at each other puzzled. "Good question," said Louise.

"Well I do remember when we caught up with you after the battle, you were showing a little bit. Not much by enough to get anyone suspicious." Norm said remembering that moment.

Neytiri nodded, knowing now that Jake must have found out that way and decided not to tell her.

"I wish that he was here now to explain himself," She sighed before stroking her daughter's hair.

The friends mourned together and in a way celebrated because it was Na'la's birthday.

_Please Review!_


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